Framing Posthumous Organ Donation in Terms of Reciprocity: What Are the Emotional Consequences?

• Published in: Basic and applied social psychology Vol. 35; no. 3; pp. 256 - 264
• Main Authors: Dijker, Anton J. M., Nelissen, Rob M. A., Stijnen, Mandy M. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01-05-2013; Taylor & Francis; Psychology Press
• Subjects: Behavior. Attitude; Biological and medical sciences; Biological organs; Blood & organ donations; Donors; Framing; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gratitude; Pity; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reciprocity; Registration; Social attribution, perception and cognition; Social psychology; Social sciences; Anger; Human; Affect affectivity; Organ donation; Motivation; Reciprocity; Postmortem; Moral attitude; Emotion emotionality; Altruism; Guilt; Social cognition
• ISSN: 0197-3533; 1532-4834
• DOI: 10.1080/01973533.2013.785401

Posthumous organ donation was framed in terms of reciprocity by asking young participants to respond to another person who was or was not registered as an organ donor, while simultaneously manipulating participants' own registration status. Participants were additionally required to adopt the perspective of a potential donor or recipient of organs. The influence of these variables on self-reported anger, fear, pity, guilt, gratitude, and positive self-feelings is systematically described. The results illustrate the relative independence of self-preservational and altruistic motives in organ donation. Practical implications are discussed.